Integrating citizenship into other school subjects

Besides classes in citizenship itself, to fully incorporate citizenship as the fourth pillar of education it needs to be woven into many other classes as well. There are three overall methods of doing this. The first is by learning subjects and skills that make better and more informed citizens. The second is by actually injecting necessary citizenship ideas directly into other classes so that students learn two subjects simultaneously. The third is by having classes where citizenship skills are practically required and used to facilitate activities.

Subjects and skills that indirectly help citizenship involving slightly changing the emphasis and curriculum of several classes. English Literature classes in high school can include relevant classics that discuss citizenship values, such as the Faerie Queen. Other skills in English classes, like communications and journalism, also indirectly help citizens.

Computer courses will also be increasingly important in the lives of future citizens. Introducing students to newer forms of social interactions, such as the blogsphere or MySpace, are important new aspect of social networking. Advanced computer programming courses can do world building games like Civilization or Sim City, where large scale planning and organization of communities is vitally important.

Health classes also improve the lives of citizens in many ways. Preventative health care and nutrition can save individuals, insurance companies, and the government countless dollars. First Aid can be a lifesaving skill for fellow citizens. Birth control is a contentious issue, but a very important one for inter-human relationships.

The Mesa Public Schools social studies program has different classes for junior high grades that also can be reemphasized to advocate citizenship. Seventh grade Geography can also teach how to become a state, other countries conceptions of citizenship and government styles. Eighth grade American History can address the Founding fathers principal’s as well as historical works on citizenship like Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America.